Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Friday's Forecast
Moderate breeze, locally gusty
A noticeable breeze, feeling cool where exposed on tops. Locally may be gusty, but unlikely to affect walking progress. 15-25mph.
Patchy rain or drizzle
Rain on and off, or generally drizzly - total amounts small, but may be persistently damp, especially where hills are shrouded in cloud.
Warm
Comfortable temperatures on the hills, 10 to 15C on tops, feeling pleasantly warm especially on lower ground. Beware of feeling cooler if exposed to wind on higher terrain.
Click an icon for more information or click here for a key to all icons.
Moderate breeze, locally gusty
A noticeable breeze, feeling cool where exposed on tops. Locally may be gusty, but unlikely to affect walking progress. 15-25mph.
Patchy rain or drizzle
Rain on and off, or generally drizzly - total amounts small, but may be persistently damp, especially where hills are shrouded in cloud.
Warm
Comfortable temperatures on the hills, 10 to 15C on tops, feeling pleasantly warm especially on lower ground. Beware of feeling cooler if exposed to wind on higher terrain.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Friday 14th August 2026
Last updated
Thu 13th Aug 26 at
4:08PM
Summary for all mountain areas
A band of rain over central Scotland in the morning sweeps into England and Wales; some heavy bursts with extensive cloud. Rain eases afternoon, to patches over Wales and the Peak District. Drizzle and light rain follows in west Scotland, little reaching eastward where high cloud breaks form.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Early rain, locally heavy; becoming largely dry, bright breaks
How windy? (On the Munros)
West-southwesterly 15-20mph, slight northwesterly shift later.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small.
How Wet?
Patchy rain and drizzle in the morning tends to fade
A band of rain over many mountains in the early hours with local heavy falls, soon breaks into patchy light rain, some drizzle on high tops. Many hills become largely dry as the day goes with only odd spots of rain from the northwest.
Cloud on the hills?
Variable, some breaks towards summits
From dawn, may be fairly extensive to middle slopes, or lower around heaviest rain. A lifting trend, breaks approaching the higher Cairngorm plateau, but only brief summit clearings, and returning towards 900-1000m in rain.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
Rising to 40%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Bursts of sunshine. Excellent visibility where out of cloud and rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
13C much of the day, rising slightly around Deeside. Lowering towards 11C later afternoon, further dropping into and overnight.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Saturday 15th August 2026
Last updated
Thu 13th Aug 26 at
4:08PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West-northwesterly 15-25mph; notable strong gusts in the morning may approach 40mph. Trending towards lighter speeds.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small in places, but strong gusts in the morning will affect stability.
How Wet?
Scattered patchy rain west
Patchy rain drifts onto the hills from the north and west, generally light with dry windows. Little reaches south/eastern Cairngorms, but organized clusters may reach more broadly.
Cloud on the hills?
Banks over tops, clear windows likely
May start fairly extensive, but soon beginning to break and lift, to banks over the Cairngorm plateau with breaks off the summits. Caps graze the tops where rain arrives, and cloud may tend to fill in over high terrain with time.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
50%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchy sunshine, trending towards cloudier conditions. Excellent visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
7C, rising slightly, up to 9C eastern hills. Just in the morning, feeling near freezing in strongest wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Sunday 16th August 2026
Last updated
Thu 13th Aug 26 at
4:08PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West-northwesterly 15-20mph early, easing and becoming somewhat variable.
Effect of the wind on you?
Mostly small.
How Wet?
Some drizzle and light showery rain
Damp and drizzly over high summits at times while in cloud, with a risk of some showery rain drifting from the northwest at time. Some chance of heavy bursts, but may well amount to very little.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly tops, variably more extensive
Much of the day, cloud isolated to banks over high tops, perhaps some more extensive banks early in the day. Breaks will occur, but also a chance of more extensive layers over high terrain during periods of rain.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
40%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Glimpses of sun, sometimes cloudier. Excellent visibility away from cloud and rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
7C rising to 9C.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
Though the weekend, high pressure is never far away to the southwest, keeping conditions generally drier and brighter across England and Wales, though a northwesterly flow will bring some cloud to western hills. Scotland is more often cloudy with patchy rain, mostly north and west, and a rising risk of cloud and some bursts of rain more widely into Sunday with fresher air. Windier and wetter conditions are indicated next week, though day-by-day detail is currently uncertain. Monday sees a rising risk of strengthening wind and rain, at least in northern areas, then a blustery northwesterly wind draws fresher air and showers more widely through midweek; some drier, brighter windows to the east. Staying mixed into next weekend.